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Biomedical subjects

M Robert-Guroff

Publications and source records attributed to M Robert-Guroff.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Epidemiology of human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus.

Human T (thymus-derived)-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus (HTLV) is the first retrovirus consistently isolated from humans. Seroepidemiologic testing for antibodies to HTLV document the following. (1) HTLV is associated with a spectrum of mature T-cell lymphoreticular neoplasms. (2) HTLV is strongly associated with clusters of adult T-cell leukemia in Japan and a related syndrome, lymphosarcoma T-cell leukemia in the Caribbean. (3) Virus-positive infections from other areas of the world share similar clinicopathologic features, with some overlap with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Antibodies to HTLV are lacking in most persons with CTCL. (4) Virus-associated malignancy clusters in geographic areas where HTLV infection is prevalent, and virus positivity varies by country, region within country, age, and possibly race and sex. Although preliminary, the epidemiologic data suggest that HTLV is etiologically linked to a specific subtype of mature T-cell malignancy.

Adult↗

The human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus, lymphoma, lytic bone lesions, and hypercalcemia.

The human T-cell lymphoma (HTL) virus is a type C RNA tumor virus isolated from patients with malignancies of mature T cells. We report three patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, hypercalcemia, and antibodies to HTL virus. One patient presented with idiopathic hypercalcemia of 6 months' duration, two with striking lytic bone lesions, and two with circulating malignant lymphocytes. Malignant cells from all patients had surface markers characteristic of thymic-derived lymphocytes (T cells), and all patients had natural serum antibodies to disrupted HTL virus and to one or both viral structural proteins p19 and p24. Patients with adult peripheral T-cell lymphomas, particularly those that present with hypercalcemia and lytic bone lesions, may have antibodies to the type C RNA human tumor virus, HTL virus.

Adult↗

The human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus associated with American adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

The human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus (HTLV) is a novel type-C retrovirus isolated from patients with T-lymphoproliferative malignancies. Thirteen cases of HTLV-associated malignancy from US centers were studied in detail. Ten of these cases share common clinical features and define a typical virus-associated adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). All ten patients presented with Ann Arbor stage IV lymphoma because of skin involvement, bone marrow involvement, or lymphomatous leptomeningitis. Lymphadenopathy occurred in 7 of 10 patients at presentation, and the malignant cells were cytologically pleomorphic. Leukemia occurred in 60% of the patients at presentation. Hypercalcemia was found initially in two-thirds of the patients, with lytic bone lesions or positive bone scans in 7 of 10. Complete remission occurred in 40%, but all have relapsed. These cases closely resemble those virus-positive cases of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) reported from Japan and the Caribbean. Three additional virus-positive patients had atypical presentations and diagnoses (acute lymphocytic leukemia, Sézary's syndrome, leukemic reticuloendotheliosis), usually with less aggressive clinical courses and atypical demographic and laboratory features. Presence of HTLV serum antibodies in cases of ATL (with hypercalcemia and circulating malignant cells) appears to define a distinct clinicopathologic entity that may occur in geographic clusters.

Adult↗

Association of the human type C retrovirus with a subset of adult T-cell cancers.

To determine whether the human T-cell lymphoma-leukemia virus (HTLV) is associated with particular cancers, patient sera were surveyed for HTLV-specific antibodies. An association was seen with aggressive cancers of mature T-cells, specifically Japanese adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and T-cell lymphosarcoma cell leukemia (TLCL), a similar cancer of Caribbean blacks. Ninety to 100% of these patients possessed HTLV-specific antibody. Forty-seven and 20% of relatives of ATL and TLCL patients, respectively, and 12 and 4% of healthy donors from ATL and TLCL endemic areas were also antibody positive. Visceral organ involvement, hypercalcemia, and skin manifestation, features of ATL and TLCL, were often seen in other antibody-positive patients. Childhood cancers, most cutaneous T-cell and all non-T-cell leukemias and lymphomas, myeloid leukemias, Hodgkin's disease, and solid tumors were not associated with HTLV. Healthy United States donors and European patients with non-malignant diseases were antibody negative. HTLV is thus associated with a subtype of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma, clustered in viral endemic areas, with apparent racial and geographic predilection.

Adult↗

A new subtype of human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV-II) associated with a T-cell variant of hairy cell leukemia.

Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) is a human type-C RNA tumor virus (retrovirus) previously identified in and isolated from several patients with T-cell leukemias or lymphomas. The known virus isolates from the United States and Japan are closely related and are found in adults with an acute malignancy of mature T cells. A related retrovirus has been found in a patient (Mo) with a somewhat different disease (a T-cell variant of relatively benign hairy cell leukemia). Serum from Mo contains antibodies to the major internal core protein (p24) of HTLV. A T-cell line established from the spleen of Mo expresses HTLV antigens. However, HTLV from Mo is significantly different from all previous HTLV isolates in immunological cross-reactivity tests of p24. The usual prototype HTLV isolate is represented as HTLV-I, and the HTLV from Mo is represented as HTLV-II. Individual members of each subgroup may then be identified by subscript initials of the patient [for example, HTLV-I(CR), HTLV-I(MB), and HTLV-II(Mo)].

Antibodies, Viral↗

The human type-C retrovirus, HTLV, in Blacks from the Caribbean region, and relationship to adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

Type-C RNA tumor viruses have been implicated in the etiology of naturally occurring leukemias and lymphomas of animals. Human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus (HTLV) is the first human virus of this class consistently identified in association with a specific type of human leukemia/lymphoma. The isolation of HTLV was made possible by the ability to grow mature T-cells in tissue culture usually with T-cell growth factor (TCGF). We now report a cluster of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma among Blacks from the Caribbean in which all eight cases are positive for HTLV virus and/or antibody. These patients have disease that appears indistinguishable from Japanese adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma which, as we have also reported, is associated with HTLV in over 90% of cases. The finding of HTLV antibodies in some of the normal population in the Caribbean and Japan, and the clustering of a specific form of T-cell leukemia/lymphoma in these virus-endemic areas, suggest that HTLV infection may be associated with the occurrence of a distinctive clinico-pathologic entity.

Adolescent↗

Natural antibodies to human retrovirus HTLV in a cluster of Japanese patients with adult T cell leukemia.

Human T cell lymphoma leukemia virus (HTLV) is a human retrovirus (RNA tumor virus) that was originally isolated from a few patients with leukemias or lymphomas involving mature T lymphocytes. Here we report that the serum of Japanese patients with adult T cell leukemia, but not the serum of tested normal donors, contains high titers of antibodies to HTLV. These observations, together with data from Japan showing that adult T cell leukemia is endemic in southwest Japan, suggest that HTLV is involved in a subtype of human T cell malignancy, including Japanese adult T cell leukemia.

Antibodies, Viral↗

Human T-cell leukemia-lymphoma virus (HTLV) is in T but not B lymphocytes from a patient with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

A human type C retrovirus, designated HTLV, previously was isolated from or identified in some patients with leukemias and lymphomas of mature T lymphocytes. HTLV is genetically and serologically distinct from any known animal retroviruses. The absence of HTLV proviral sequences in DNA from normal humans showed that HTLV is not a ubiquitous endogenous (germ-line transmitted) virus of humans. Antibodies to HTLV core proteins have been identified in some people with T-cell neoplasias and are particularly prevalent in Japanese with adult T-cell leukemia, suggesting that HTLV is acquired horizontally. However, it was possible that HTLV is transmitted through the germ line of some (possibly rare) families and is then expressed in the HTLV- positive malignancies. An opportunity to study this question was provided by the development of several T-cell lines and a B-cell provided by the development of several T-cell lines and a B-cell line from one HTLV-positive patient with a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Here we report that HTLV proteins or nucleic acids (or both) are found in three independently derived T-cell lines, all shown by HLA typing to have originated from the patient. In contrast, the B-cell line, the identity of which was also ascertained by HLA typing, contained no detectable HTLV protein, RNA, or proviral DNA. Because the sensitivity of the latter assay is more than sufficient to detect one proviral equivalent per haploid genome, the results indicate that HTLV was not transmitted to this patient through the germ line but rather was acquired by infection.

B-Lymphocytes↗

Detection of the human T cell lymphoma virus p19 in cells of some patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma and leukemia using a monoclonal antibody.

A monoclonal antibody specific for the internal p19 protein of a type-C retrovirus (HTLV) isolated from human neoplastic T cells has been developed. Its specificity has been shown by radioimmune precipitation and by affinity chromatography of iodinated HTLV proteins. By indirect immune fluorescence this antibody recognizes only HTLV-producing cells. Examination of cells from patients with cutaneous T cell lymphomas and leukemias and with other types of lymphomas and leukemias indicated that HTLV p19 expression is rare. The monoclonal antibody will be useful in determining the natural reservoir of HTLV, possibly in a subset of mature T cell neoplasias.

Animals↗

Natural antibodies to the human T cell lymphoma virus in patients with cutaneous T cell lymphomas.

Sera from patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma and leukemia were screened for the presence of natural antibody to the human T cell lymphoma (leukemia) virus, HTLVCR, using a solid-phase radioimmunoassay. Sera from two patients, including patient CR, from whose cultured T lymphoblastic cell line (HUT102), the retrovirus HTLVCR was isolated, reacted specifically with proteins of HTLVCR. Serum from patient CR also reacted specifically with proteins of HTLVMB, an independent but highly related retroviral isolate from a patient with Sezary T cell leukemia. The specificity for HTLVCR proteins was demonstrated by solid-phase immunocompetition assays and competition radioimmunoprecipitation assays. Analysis of radioimmunoprecipitates indicated that the natural antibodies were directed against HTLVCR core proteins with molecular weights of 24,000 and 19,000 (p24 and p19). Whereas the serum reactivities for HTLVCR proteins were shown to be highly specific, additional reactivities seen against proteins of animal retroviruses including GaLV, SSV, FeLV, and BaEV were clearly shown not to be viral specific but rather were due to reactivity with cellular antigens contaminating the viral preparations or with related antigens present in fetal calf serum. These results demonstrating natural antibodies to HTLVCR provide the first evidence for a specific antibody response to a retrovirus in humans.

Antibodies, Viral↗

Radioimmunoassay for infectious primate retrovirus reverse transcriptase: characterization, comparison with conventional immunologic assays and applicability to cellular extracts.

SSV reverse transcriptase (RT) was purified to homogeneity and used in a radioimmunoassay. Following iodination, the homogeneity of the protein and its identity with RT were confirmed by several criteria: (1) its molecular weight on an SDS-polyacrylamide gel; (2) its precipitation by anti-SSV RT but not by antisera to other SSV proteins; (3) its cross-reactivity in RIA with antisera to other retroviral polymerases; (4) its competition in RIA by active homogeneous SSV RT but not by other purified SSV proteins; and (5) its competition in RIA by only those fractions from a poly(U)-Sepharose column possessing SSV RT activity. Competition of the labelled probe with disrupted retroviruses of the infectious primate group showed that, while a homologous RIA detected only type-specific enzyme determinants, it did not distinguish the various woolly-gibbon retroviral DNA polymerases. A more broadly reactive heterologous assay utilizing an antiserum to R-MuLV RT detected group- but not interspecies-specific enzyme determinants. A comparison of immunologic assays for RT showed that: (1) highly purified RT is not essential for reliable results in enzyme neutralization or enzyme binding assays; (2) the greater sensitivity of enzyme binding compared to enzyme neutralization assays is a function of the antibody, not of the antigen. Competition RIAs using extracts of virus-infected cells showed that infectious primate retrovirus RT could be measured in a crude system and that cellular DNA polymerases alpha, beta and gamma did not compete with the labelled probe.

Animals↗

Characterization of a type-C virus produced by co-cultures of human leukemic bone-marrow and fetal canine thymus cells.

The putative human helper virus SKA-21/A204V, isolated by Nooter et al. in 1977 from human leukemic bone-marrow cells following co-culture with normal fetal canine thymus cells, Cf2th, has been characterized with respect to its major viral core protein, reverse transcriptase, and nucleic acid sequences. The results of these analyses show that this virus is not distinguishable from the woolly monkey type-C virus, SSAV-1, by the techniques employed.

Animals↗

Serological analysis of cellular and viral DNA polymerases by an antiserum to DNA polymerase gamma of human lymphoblasts.

An antiserum has been prepared against a highly purified DNA polymerase gamma from NC37 cells, a normal human lymphoblast cell line. The antiserum does not possess enzyme neutralizing activity, but does bind specifically to DNA polymerase gamma. When tested in a double antibody immunoprecipitation assay, the antibody does not cross-react with DNA polymerases alpha or beta, purified from NC37 cells, or with reverse transcriptases of avian, murine, or primate RNA tumor viruses. Antisera prepared against purified reverse transcriptases similarly do not recognize DNA polymerase gamma, either in an enzyme neutralization assay or in the more sensitive double antibody immunoprecipitation assay. The availability of an antiserum to DNA polymerase gamma will allow the further characterization of enzyme activities isolated from cellular material and suspected of being related to viral reverse ttranscriptases. In those cases where such activities do not immunologically resemble known viral DNA polymerases, the anti-DNA polymerase gamma will help determine the viral or cellular nature of the unknown activity.

Antigen-Antibody Reactions↗